As part of my own going research re the Metaverse I was asked by few people how many know about Second Life. If you consider all the PR that SL has, this is indeed a fair question. So using Facebook survey I asked 1000 people. These are the results. If you want the actual excel file please let me know. (ohh yes. I have a typo in Heard... sorry).

Saturday, July 28, 2007

IBM released its employee guidelines for virtual worlds today. The seven-page PDF outlines basic principles governing how to represent IBM in the virtual arena.

This is a simple straight forward document that guide employees as to how to behave in the virtual world. All common sense both for the employees and IBM.

This is the intro of the document:

VIRTUAL WORLDS GUIDELINES FOR IBM EMPLOYEESIntroductionIBM believes that virtual worlds and other 3D Internet environments offer significant opportunity to our company, our clients and the world at large, as they evolve, grow in use and popularity, and become more integrated into many aspects of business and society. As an innovation-based company, IBM encourages employees to explore responsibly and to further the development of such new spaces of relationship-building, learning and collaboration. As we engage in these new environments, IBMers should follow and be guided first and foremost by our values and our Business Conduct Guidelines.

These Virtual Worlds Guidelines for IBM employees have been created to build upon those foundations and to address the some of the choices that individual IBMers may face in virtual worlds. These guidelines are not intended to address every situation you may encounter through use of a digital persona or personas. But reflecting as they do the input and expertise of a global team of experts--IBM’s Virtual Universe Community∗ --the guidelines are a good start at informing our collective engagement and exploration.

After growing pressure from both family and peers I got into FaceBook. Mainly to see the application infrastructure they are offering. I was pleased to see several groups that deal with the Metaverse, Second Life, etc.

I was especially happy to see a simple implementation of the EZ Metaverse. It is called MyMiniLife.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Microsoft is back to its roots, linking smart hardware with smart software.
Amazing Video that demonstrate how you can manipulate pictures; connect devices on your table top. See full video. Now connect that to the Metaverse and we are almost there.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

For the summer Linden has hosted a mega party. Some of the coolest ppl in SL came.
Of course, slow, bugs, shoes in butt, crashing into walls... but COOOL DJ and amazing people ... .
Love it. Love it. Love it.

I had the pleasure to participate in one of the Philips meetings as part of the Philips Design Co-creation Experience.

The Co-creation Experience is intended to be a journey over time that we hope to take together with the ‘Philips Design Friends Group’. The journey starts here by clicking on the panels on the top platform to become a group member. The only qualities you need are to be open, creative and collaborative.

Monday, July 16, 2007

A good intro to second life. 1st episode of 'My Second Life' online! 'My Second Life'was shot entirely in the popular online world Second Life. On one of his visits in SL, Filmmaker Douglas Gayeton came across a series of seven video dispatches by a character named Molotov Alva. It appears that a man by the same name mysteriously disappeared from his real world California home in January 2007. Gayeton put Alva's dispatches together into a documentary of seven episodes.

So Dera Kit is helping some innovative product makers Ludvaig Lindman in Second Life. This new product has it all -- romance, elegance, and simplicity. Made of only 12 prims -- it will make you smile.

It took us years to create this Lover’s Pearl. Like in Real life. Our pearl is big; it symbolized the love between two parties… our heart is opened like this amazing shell. One of the most unique items in Second Life this Pearl will dazzle your lover as well as your friends. Simple and elegant, Lover’s Pearl will brings you a smile each time you use it.

One of the most important sources re the Metaverse is http://www.virtualworldsnews.com. They offer a news letter that include the latest. One of their latest stories capture Barbie Girls. A new world for girls. Here is what they said:

The new Barbie Girls online world, which is still in beta, announced last night that it had signed up three million members in its first 60 days ago and is continuing to grow with 50,000 members per day. In comparison, Second Life, which launched in 2003, didn't reach that mark for registrations until January of 2007. Barbie Girls even seems to be outpacing other major brands with children's virtual worlds initiatives... Disney's online world at 1.165 million users compared to Nickelodeon's Nicktropolis at 1.4 million users, though those numbers are for unique users and not simply registrations.

Sorry it took me time to post it. But yes Second Life got 8 million users
(ok people that really opened an avatar. people that opened different avatars). Some of my friends have 10-20 avatars. ah ah. Still an amazing achievement.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Microsoft Live Labs is demostrating some high-end cool stuff that has long term relevance to the Meteverse. 2D pictures from public sources are compiled to create a 3D representation AUTOMATICALLY!!!! Wow.

In March of this year Microsoft Live Labs Architect, Blaise Aguera y Arcas spoke at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference in Monterey, CA. Blaise demonstrated Seadragon and Photosynth to an enthusiastic audience and painted a vision for how these technologies will evolve in the months and years ahead. Watch the short video above to see some of the amazing ways these technologies will change the way you interact with your images in the future, and visit the Photosynth site to try the latest collections from the team.